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The thing that really made me love this book was the chapter that introduced the dolphin captain, Creikeiki. In a few short pages, Brin paints a picture of a weary, courageous leader, a poet, a genius, a wise and gentle soul. By the end of the chapter I loved Creideiki more than I've cared about most other fictional characters, with the possible exceptions of the Opera Ghost and Ender Wiggin.Other than that, the novel is a very good sci-fi action story. Lost in space, out-of-order and under seige, out-gunned, out-numbered, etc. It's a fun read and all the other characters are three-dimensional and well-developed. I'd give it five stars if the rest of the writing was as fantastic as that first chapter about Creideiki, but it's still high-quality. Brin is a rising star in the world of science ficiton.

David Brin never ceases to amaze me. His creations are so detailed that you feel like you are there experiencing them. In "Startide Rising" he creates a breathtaking universe where humans are the bastard sons. It is a universe where every alien race is 'uplifted' to sentience. Humans are the only ones that haven't been. Most of the five galaxies hate us because of it. We have our friends, but they still look at us as if we're the little 'wolfling' children that haven't grown old enough to leave the block. We humans have in turn uplifted Chimpanzees and Dolphins.The book is about a Dolphin commanded starship that discovers a clue to our Terran heritage that any of our enemies would love to get their hands on. The information accidentally leaks and the Streaker goes into hiding with enormous fleets following it's every move. The ship land on the water world of Kithrup. Geological, galactic political, and inter-ship political problems ensue with big fights strewn through out.This is a very informed book that is detailed and entertaining at the same time. You don't have to read "Sundiver" before reading this book, but "Sundiver" does explain the politics a little better. I suggest everyone read this because it is way too good to pass up. It did win both the Hugo and the Nebula awards. I give it five stars.

David Brin has invented an interesting universe in which to set his "Uplift" (also known as "Earthclan") series. It is a crowded universe - sort of Star Wars-esque in its level of weird and wonderful inhabitants. The variety arises from a tradition of Uplift, wherein a sentient species genetically modifies another species so it can attain sentience as well. The uplifted species' debt: 100,000 years of indentured servitude! The added wrinkle: every species that is currently uplifting others was itself uplifted in the distant past. This is an ancient universe where innovation consists solely of hunting through the galactic library looking for forgotten information.Humanity enters this universe with two distinct differences: an abhorance of slavery, and a skill at innovation that is alarming to the pompous patron races of the galaxy. Mankind has uplifted two species: dolphins and chimps. They have set them free as equals (instead of demanding the 100,000 years of slavery), further appalling the elder races. However, all of this information is background - it's a testament to Brin's skill that he weaves all this background into the story (along with the introduction of numerous extraterrestrial races) without specifically devoting long passages to it.The main plot - a dolphin-crewed ship (along with a few human overseers) has discovered a derelict fleet. As they try to head back to Earth with the info, they are ambushed by many E.T.'s intent on stealing their find. The ship seeks refuge on a water-covered planet as the crew tries to make repairs and escape their pursuers (who battle each other in space overhead).Read more ›

I must say that I am compelled to read every Hugo- and Nebula-winner story for I think that if they were awarded it is because they must have something special. For some time I've been looking to read any book of the Uplift trilogies, and the reader's reviews in [Amazon.com] guided me to Startide Rising, even if it is not the first book of the Uplift trilogy nº1. After reading STR I think Sundiver cannot be better anyway.I had never read anything about David Brin, but being an author who has received so much praise I expected much from him. Well, he didn't disappoint me. Startide Rising is one of the most original sci-fi stories I've ever run into, and I put the thinking behind the writing in the "Amazing" category, along "Foundation" and "End of Eternity" by Asimov and "Rendezvous with Rama" by Clarcke.The story is like this: in the future, man has been able to "elevate" intelligent animal species like the chimpanzee and the dolphin to a kind of consciousness similar to humans themselves.The Universe is defined by The Five Galaxies, and in these galaxies there are a grand number of other Star-Traveling Species. Each one of these alien species has, each in its turn, being a low form of life, and has been developed by a sponsor species. Nobody knows who the original sponsors species were, and no one knows which species developed humankind.The "Streaker" is a spaceship commanded an crewd by dolphins, humans and a scientist chimp. When the story begins, they are hidding in a non-charted acquatic world. They're hiding because they found a space-caravan of very, very old ships, as big as moons. These enormous ships are thought to belong to a long-vanished species, which can be the "Progenitors", creators of all other species.Read more ›